9/17/2018 Crescent Mountain and McLeod Fire Update

CRESCENT MOUNTAIN FIRE Community Meeting Tonight! The Red Barn in Winthrop, 6pm.

September 17, 2018 Crescent Mountain Fire: 51,931 acres; 75 percent contained ●  Point of Origin: Approximately 21 miles west of Twisp ●  Start Date: July 29, 2018 ●  Cause: Lightning McLeod Fire: 22,898 acres; 86 percent contained ●  Point of Origin: Approximately eight miles north of Mazama ●  Start Date: August 11, 2018 ●  Cause: Lightning Holman Fire: 302 acres, no containment ●  Point of Origin: Holman Peak ●  Start Date: August 17, 2018 ●  Cause: Unknown Total Personnel Assigned to Fires Collectively: 491

Community Meeting Today

6:00pm at the Red Barn

51 Highway 20, Winthrop, WA

This event will be live-streamed on Facebook, if you prefer to participate online.

Crescent Mountain and McLeod Fire crews continue to repair damage caused by firefighting operations. A third of the repair target has been completed for Crescent Mountain Fire. McLeod Fire repair is approximately one-tenth complete. These figures will be updated and explained at tonight’s community meeting in Winthrop. The intent of suppression repair is to minimize soil erosion and restore damaged ecological functions to conditions that existed before the incident. All repairs occur under advisement of local Resource Advisors. 

Containment calculation on Crescent and McLeod Fires has changed significantly due to the way fire officials assess and combine two factors: 1) suppression actions accomplished and 2) extent of fire perimeter under ‘monitor’ status, with little potential for spread. Pairing these elements together yields a more accurate containment percentage. This displays the progress in achieving suppression objectives related to values at risk such as private property, infrastructure, timber, and critical habitat.

 

Campfire Closures: Beginning today, forest users will once again be able to have campfires in approved campfire rings within designated recreation sites and other sites across the forest outside of the Crescent, McLeod and Holman fire closure areas. See Closures and Fire Restrictions for forest-wide list.

PCT Reroute: The Pacific Crest Trail is closed from Harts Pass north to Woody Pass. As of 8/31/18, there is a detour for hikers to reach the Canadian border from Slate Pass using Trail No. 575 to Trail No.478, then Trail No. 473 to Woody Pass.

Weather: A range of one to two tenths of an inches of rain fell across the fires yesterday at mid-day. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity recovery are predicted in the coming week.